Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Central Library 20 years ago

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The diagram illustrates how the floor plane of a central library have changed over two decades.

Overall, the library has been completely changed. The chairs and tables were located at the central part of the library has been removed. While a new cafe section has replaced old enquiry desk.

Twenty years ago, library had enquiry desk at right side and reading room at left side after passing the entrance. Whereas there were two round table with chairs at the central part. Adult friction and non-friction books were located at the either side of the tables. While the upper area contained gaming section where CDs, video and computer games along with seperate childern's books area were available.

Over period, only entrance remained unchanged. The lower area of library near the entrance contains computer room at the left and cafe at the right side. The central area of the library where previously table and chair were located is now converted into open space. Now the either side of open space have all refrence bools and adult friction bools with information desk. The enquiry desk has been replaced by self-service machine. In the upper area, there is a lecture room and room for storytelling events where two sofa and children's friction books are located

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear comparison of the library's layout twenty years ago and today. Major changes and continuities are reported, such as the removal of tables and chairs from the centre, the replacement of the enquiry desk with self-service machines, and the addition of a café and lecture room. However, there are minor factual inaccuracies or awkward references, such as mentioning 'friction' instead of 'fiction' and slight confusions regarding specific room locations. Overall, the main features are selected and reported adequately, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division between past and present layouts. Paragraphing is used logically, separating the introduction, an overview, past features, and current features. Cohesive devices such as 'Whereas', 'While', and 'Over period' are employed to guide the reader through the comparison, though some transitions are slightly mechanical or unidiomatic, such as 'Over period'. Referencing is generally clear, but occasional minor awkwardness in discourse markers prevents it from reaching a higher band. Coherence and cohesion are managed well enough for a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for describing a floor plan, including terms like 'enquiry desk', 'self-service machine', and 'open space'. However, there are notable lexical errors and spelling mistakes, most recurrently writing 'friction' instead of 'fiction' and 'refrence' instead of 'reference'. Additionally, word choices such as 'floor plane' show minor inaccuracies. While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning, these repetitive spelling and word-choice errors restrict the score to Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and subordinate structures like 'The central area of the library where previously table and chair were located is now converted into open space.' However, there are several grammatical errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'how the floor plane... have changed', 'The chairs and tables were located... has been removed', and 'library had enquiry desk'. Despite these errors, communication is rarely impeded, demonstrating control typical of a Band 6.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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